Passenger Ill on train great response from VTEC staff

[Nick66]

Rail companies and their staff often get a bad press and I am the first to complain when something goes wrong so credit where it is due.

I am currently on the 20:00 from KGX to NCL and the lady in the seat next to me took ill about an hour into the journey. I got out of the way but had my hands full so the gentleman in the seat in front of me went to speak to the man at the foodbar which was in our car. Before he had got back there was a call out for a doctor and then the train manager. Two doctors and all the staff were there in no time attending to the lady. Not sure exactly what happened as I got out of the way to let them get on with it but in any event she seems to be OK. A big shout out to VTEC staff and I hope I read the name badges right, Kev the train manager, Paul from the foodbar and Lee from revenue protection who were all on the spot right away.

 

[800001]

Rail companies and their staff often get a bad press and I am the first to complain when something goes wrong so credit where it is due.

I am currently on the 20:00 from KGX to NCL and the lady in the seat next to me took ill about an hour into the journey. I got out of the way but had my hands full so the gentleman in the seat in front of me went to speak to the man at the foodbar which was in our car. Before he had got back there was a call out for a doctor and then the train manager. Two doctors and all the staff were there in no time attending to the lady. Not sure exactly what happened as I got out of the way to let them get on with it but in any event she seems to be OK. A big shout out to VTEC staff and I hope I read the name badges right, Kev the train manager, Paul from the foodbar and Lee from revenue protection who were all on the spot right away.

I'm on that train now, I'll show this message to Kev the Train Manager.

 

[greyman42]

Fantastic response, as you would expect, from a Newcastle crew.

 

[Bromley boy]

Rail companies and their staff often get a bad press and I am the first to complain when something goes wrong so credit where it is due.

I am currently on the 20:00 from KGX to NCL and the lady in the seat next to me took ill about an hour into the journey. I got out of the way but had my hands full so the gentleman in the seat in front of me went to speak to the man at the foodbar which was in our car. Before he had got back there was a call out for a doctor and then the train manager. Two doctors and all the staff were there in no time attending to the lady. Not sure exactly what happened as I got out of the way to let them get on with it but in any event she seems to be OK. A big shout out to VTEC staff and I hope I read the name badges right, Kev the train manager, Paul from the foodbar and Lee from revenue protection who were all on the spot right away.

Great to read such a positive story. Thanks for posting.

 

[47271]

It was this story that prompted me to remind everyone on the main VTEC thread that the operator's front line staff have been doing a fantastic job over the past couple of years in spite of the challenges faced by the business overall.

It's been very much appreciated by us regular travellers who have a fair idea of what's been going on.

 

[Intermodal]

Fantastic job. I do hope that you will email VTEC so Kev and the rest can get the praise they deserve through proper channels.

 

[SaveECRewards]

It was this story that prompted me to remind everyone on the main VTEC thread that the operator's front line staff have been doing a fantastic job over the past couple of years in spite of the challenges faced by the business overall.

It's been very much appreciated by us regular travellers who have a fair idea of what's been going on.

They've always had great people on-board the trains. They manage to deliver a good service despite rather than because of the management.

There's some people I know who criticise everything about VTEC but most will acknowledge the excellent work of those on the front line.

Fantastic job. I do hope that you will email VTEC so Kev and the rest can get the praise they deserve through proper channels.

There's a web form for staff praise: https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/customer-service/contact-us/praise-the-team/

That or email will hopefully get the feedback to their manager.

I was talking to someone recently who used to work for VTEC and I mentioned to him that I'd noticed some positive posts about him on Twitter, he said he was aware of some of them but said he had never once had this praise passed to him by management. I think it has more chance making its way to the person involved if it's done via email or that form.

 

[mark-h]

There's a web form for staff praise

Strangely the form gives the following options in the "who are you praising" dropdown list
*Station staff
*Call centre staff
*Head office staff
*Other

I would have thought that there should be an option for On board staff (or similar). This shows a bit of an insight into VTEC management (who can be praised through the form)!

 

[SaveECRewards]

Strangely the form gives the following options in the "who are you praising" dropdown list
*Station staff
*Call centre staff
*Head office staff
*Other

I would have thought that there should be an option for On board staff (or similar). This shows a bit of an insight into VTEC management (who can be praised through the form)!

It does seem odd that the people you're most likely to interact with when travelling VTEC have been shunted into the 'other' category.

I wonder how many people have submitted a form in the name of Jeremy Corbyn praising the head office staff

 

[Halish Railway]

Pretty much the exact same thing happened to me on a Northern Class 158 at Wakefield Kirkgate, an old gentleman had an issue with his heart. The guard asked for someone who was a trained professional until an ambulance arrived. Lucky that this happened in a built up area at a station with a busy train that was likely to have a trained professional, instead of in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales.

 

[4069]

Whichever company's name is on the badge at the moment doesn't matter a bit. They are Railway people.

 

[Intermodal]

Whichever company's name is on the badge at the moment doesn't matter a bit. They are Railway people.

I think you are missing the point, nobody is implying that the company is responsible for any good deeds conducted by the staff. The point is that clearly in a large company you need a system to ensure praise goes to the right place, and the system is inadequately designed.

 

[4069]

I think you are missing the point, nobody is implying that the company is responsible for any good deeds conducted by the staff. The point is that clearly in a large company you need a system to ensure praise goes to the right place, and the system is inadequately designed.

My point is that railway people will do the right thing regardless of the name of their current employer. I've no idea whether or not the system for internal recognition works. Clearly it would be a good thing if it did.

 

[aylesbury]

I was returning from Glasgow about five years ago and the train manager helped a mother and her children sit within sight of each other enlisting passengers help a very good advert for Virgin.

 

[Halish Railway]

I was returning from Glasgow about five years ago and the train manager helped a mother and her children sit within sight of each other enlisting passengers help a very good advert for Virgin.

I've seen that to on a TPE 350 from Edinburgh. The train was quite busy as the train was supposed to be 8 carriages but turned out as a 4 carriage train.